The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Only a fool would rush in and replace Tom with any old striker
Posh will not rush to replace departed striker Tom Nichols even though they are one injury away from a big problem. Manager Grant McCann will instead wait and make sure the right character to complement a dashing set of forwards is found.
Oliver Hawkins (Dagenham & Redbridge) and Scott Quigley (New Saints) have been linked with Posh in recent days, but chairman Darragh MacAnthony poured cold water on those potential targets yesterday (Wednesday).
As predicted by the Peterborough Telegraph, Nichols left Posh for League One rivals Bristol Rovers earlier this week. He posted a leaving letter on social media without thanking the fans, probably a deliberate act from a player who never achieved popularity in his 18 months at the club.
McCann said: “The reaction of some supporters at the game against QPR last weekend prompted Tom to ask to leave.
“We had rejected a bid from Rovers the day before, but we managed to get a deal done over the weekend.
“I hope Tom does well, but we move on. We certainly won’t be standing still as we always have prospective new players on our radar.
“Tom’s departure leaves the door open for someone else, but, although we will need to replace him, we won’t rush to make a signing.
“There is a concern for the start of the season as Ricky Miller is suspended for the first six matches so if we do pick up an injury we could have a problem.”
Posh have also sold striker Luke James to League Two newcomers Forest Green Rovers. James hadn’t played for Posh since April 2015 and scored just two goals following a £500K move from Hartlepool in January, 2014.
Transfer-listed striker Shaquile Coulthirst is rumoured to be a loan target for Scottish Premier League side Motherwell.
Posh did sign 20 year-old defender Alex Penny from Nuneaton yesterday for an undisclosed fee. He signed a three-year deal after playing in Tuesday’s friendly against Ipswich.